<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:14pt"><div id="yiv1608148812"><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 14pt; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div><span id="yiv1608148812yui_3_2_0_17_131647777366357">I wrote:</span></div><div><span id="yiv1608148812yui_3_2_0_17_131647777366387"></span> </div><div id="yiv1608148812yui_3_2_0_17_1316477773663161"><span id="yiv1608148812yui_3_2_0_17_131647777366390">> I see automated and remote mining and manufacturing<br>> ahead of human presence as the way to get space<br>> industrialization done on the cheap. A few high value<br>> products and materials would be worth sending back<br>> to Earth.</span></div><div><span id="yiv1608148812yui_3_2_0_17_1316477773663104"></span> </div><div><span id="yiv1608148812yui_3_2_0_17_1316477773663107">Keith
Henson wrote:<br><br>> But perhaps you have ideas I missed. Can you be </span></div><div><span id="yiv1608148812yui_3_2_0_17_1316477773663125">> specific about what could be mined or manufactured </span></div><div id="yiv1608148812yui_3_2_0_17_1316477773663165"><span id="yiv1608148812yui_3_2_0_17_1316477773663133">> in space and sent back to earth at a profit?</span></div><div><span id="yiv1608148812yui_3_2_0_17_1316477773663167"></span> </div><div id="yiv1608148812yui_3_2_0_17_1316477773663175"><span id="yiv1608148812yui_3_2_0_17_1316477773663170">Low-g mining done remotely on <span id="misspell-0"><span>asteroids</span></span> and ice bodies</span></div><div><span id="yiv1608148812yui_3_2_0_17_1316477773663177">can process nickel-iron for further infrastructure building</span></div><div><span id="yiv1608148812yui_3_2_0_17_1316477773663182">on low-g and free flying structures. The first generation</span></div><div><span
id="yiv1608148812yui_3_2_0_17_1316477773663188">involves many small remote control mining devices to</span></div><div><span id="yiv1608148812yui_3_2_0_17_1316477773663193">build the technology. There is good reason to believe</span></div><div><span id="yiv1608148812yui_3_2_0_17_1316477773663198">heavy metals would have collected in the cores of </span></div><div id="yiv1608148812yui_3_2_0_17_1316477773663213"><span id="yiv1608148812yui_3_2_0_17_1316477773663211">whatever </span><span id="yiv1608148812yui_3_2_0_17_1316477773663204">failed planet bodies became the <span id="misspell-1"><span>asteroid</span></span> belt.</span></div><div><span></span> </div><div><span><div><a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110907132044.htm"><font color="#247cd4">http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110907132044.htm</font></a></div>
<div> </div>
<div>"During the formation of Earth, molten iron sank to </div>
<div>its <span id="misspell-2"><span id="misspell-0" class="mark">centre</span></span> to make the core. This took with it the vast </div>
<div>majority of the planet's precious metals -- such as </div>
<div>gold and platinum. In fact, there are enough precious </div>
<div>metals in the core to cover the entire surface of Earth </div>
<div>with a four-<span id="misspell-3"><span id="misspell-1" class="mark">metre</span></span> thick layer."</div>
<div> </div>
<div>"Our work shows that most of the precious metals </div>
<div>on which our economies and many key industrial </div>
<div>processes are based have been added to our planet </div>
<div>by lucky coincidence when the Earth was hit by </div>
<div>about 20 billion billion tonnes of <span id="misspell-4"><span id="misspell-2" class="mark">asteroidal</span></span> material."</div>
<div> </div>
<div>A busted up core in the asteroid belt should have more</div>
<div>"Ore" than the surface of the Earth does. The more</div><div>valuable ores could be shipped back to Earth.</div><div> </div><div>I'm not interested in holding out for grand schemes</div><div>that never happen. I want to see tiny remote control</div><div>mining operations demonstrating and keeping what</div><div>they mine and build upon. Every government effort</div><div>is abandoned without leaving something to build </div><div>upon. Iron-nickel can be built upon and added to</div><div>creating a basis for ever expanding mining. The up</div><div>front cost is the remote control center back on Earth </div><div>and getting the small mining devices to the places</div><div>they can start mining and manufacturing. At some</div><div>point enough infrastructure can be built remotely</div><div>to do repairs on existing infrastructure and simple</div><div>repairs to the remote control devices. Avoid
the</div><div>manned expenses until enough infrastructure exists</div><div>to justify it. Remotes can build up resources in</div><div>advance to reduce the manned expenses.</div><div> </div><div>Everyone would like there to be a golden egg</div><div>waiting in space to pay the way for industrialization.</div><div>If you wait for the golden egg it many never happen.</div><div>I say create the opportunity.</div><div> </div><div>A remote mining demonstrator fusing iron-nickel</div><div>dust into useful structures might go a long way</div><div>towards opening up capital.</div><div> </div><div>Dennis May</div></span></div><div><span id="yiv1608148812yui_3_2_0_17_1316477773663215"></span> </div><div><span></span> </div><div><span id="yiv1608148812yui_3_2_0_17_1316477773663140"></span> </div><div><br><var id="yui-ie-cursor"></var> </div></div></div></div></body></html>